


Gone Girl

by LaughingThalia



Series: Shorts and One-Shots [5]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Pepperony - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-06-07
Packaged: 2018-07-12 23:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7127141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaughingThalia/pseuds/LaughingThalia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because Tony would never stop helping people even if it cost him everything and Pepper just couldn't stand the worrying anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gone Girl

"Tony please you have to stop! You're not trained for this." Pepper swung her arms, gesturing to the 40+ Iron man suits he had in his workshop.

"You want me to stop being Iron Man? To stop saving people's lives! Nobody's trained for this I only made the suits two years ago and I'm the only one who knws how to use them!"

"Rhodey's trained for this and he got the suits a whole year after you. You can save people's lives by giving your tech to the military. They can train more men."

"Oh yeah? And how long until one of those men, or better yet their superiors, someone in the government gets offered some money or some power or both, how long until they get corrupted and bribed and one of my weapons-some of my tech gets dealed under the table to the very guys I'm meant to be fighting!"

"This is insane Tony, you're going to get yourself killed one day. I've known you for ten years now and in all that time never have you listened to me when I am genuinely concerned for your well being, never have you shown even an ounce of self preservation. But I'm asking you now Tony not as your Personal Assistant or your CEO or even as your girlfriend but as who really truly cares for you; stop this, please, I'm begging you."

Tony stared at Pepper and he could almost hear her heart breaking as he said his part, but he couldn't do it, he couldn't give up Iron Man. It was all he had. So instead of looking her in the eye and agreeing with her like he knew she wanted he dropped his gaze to the floor and apologized "I'm sorry Pepper. I can't give up Iron Man. I'll keep fighting even if it kills me."

"I almost lost you twice before. I don't think I could live through a third time or a fourth time or however many times it will take to actually kill you because there will be another time Tony. And I don't think I can be there for it. Here's my letter of resignation." She handed him a letter and Tony looked back up at her, in her eyes and he saw the tears brimming "I'm sorry too Tony. I promised myself I wouldn't be the one to leave you, I would be the one person in your entire life who you could trust 100% but I'm going to have to break that promise." Then she turned around and walked out of his lab leaving Tony behind staring at her through the glass as she exited his life, holding her letter in his trembling hand.

He had been lying before, when he thought the suits were the only thing he had left because despite everything he had Pepper. Now... now he truly had nothing. When she left it was like she took his arc reactor with her and left a giant gaping hole in his chest that was slowly killing him, shredding his heart to pieces until only a hollow man, a shell of who he had once been remained.

He continued to fight crime occasionally teaming up with the other Avengers, Rhodey or with SHIELD but mostly he kept himself to himself. No more one night stands or drunken sprees, no more loud parties or even any Stark Expos. He was gone, just like the woman who had left him.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: he he he. See what I did there? It's called Gone Girl and there's a book/movie called Gone Girl but this obviously isn't that book nor is it a fanfiction about that movie... did you not get that? Oh okay, tough crowd.


End file.
